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Ragalong ragdolls breeder warning!
I got a kitten from marilyn (Ragalong ragdolls), which I was in complete and utter love with. I had asked to see photos of her mom and dad (Numerous times) as they were not updated on her website. Marilyn kept giving excuses and only ever provided one of her dad (Which took a while) I still don't have one of her mom. Just before my kitten turned 6 months of age she died a very very sudden and tragic death from a heart attack. We tried to help her and were on our way to emergency but she passed away in the car as her heart was just not strong enough. I told marilyn what had happened, she said this never happens, that all her adult cats are very healthy and get checked routinely/get ultrasounds to ensure they don't have any defects. I was never provided with these records nor the names of the vet hospitals she takes them to. She said shes only ever lost one cat to a heart attack.
She said she would get me a replacement kitten asap. I waited for months and months. My kitten died mid oct 2016 and I finally called marilyn and asked her how much longer I would have to wait in january 2017 as I was seeing her posts on her page of people thanking her for their kittens.
My friend who also ordered a kitten from her after mine died was offered a kitten before me. She said I was at the bottom of the list. My husband called and she finally offered us one. I absolutely adore our new kitten (We also don't have a photo of his mom either) but I found out that he has a grade 2 heart murmur. Something she should have disclosed to me as she had him neutered and vets normally do a quick check/listen of the heart before putting an animal under general anesthetic. Now I worry everyday that something could happen to him as well. Today I met a woman whos parents got two radgolls from marilyn and both kittens died before the age of 1. She did not go into detail as this was still obviously a very delicate subject.
Do not trust this breeder. I believe she's only init for the money and not for the love of the cats.
I had my ragdoll for 18 years from an amazing breeder. I have heard nothing but problems from the people that have bought from Ragalong. If you look at her prices it is easy to see she is a CATMILL. There is no way a good breeder who does testing and proper care charges that little for a kitten. And if she will not let you see the cats and the cattery she is hiding the poor care etc. A kitten that is raised properly should nver be nervous and fearful. My sons new kitten comes running when you come in the door, plays with his toys, sleeps beside him and is not afraid of the vacume, kitchen prep noises etc as he was raised underfoot with a dog and the other littermates. Do your research and pay the money for reputation. $2000.00 is a good investment when you get 15 to 18 years of no health problems and a super nice friendly companion.
We bought a kitten (male) from Ragalong in 2017 (parents Cloud 9 and Fairydust) and he’s had health issues for 3 years. His first trip to animal emerg was diagnosed as FLUTD at age 1 luckily he wanted blocked to help that he’s given medication 4 times a day. Second issue is extreme anxiety which he is on amitriptyline for. After becoming a foster for a rescue I am 100% certain that the ragalong kittens are NOT socialized at all and are taken from their mum way too early. Cats develop behavior issues if taken from mum too soon. Don’t get me wrong we love our antisocial little boy but I wonder how different he’d be if he was raised with love instead of for money……makes a huge difference. Now the last major heal issue is a bleeding disorder. His urine looks like red wine and he’s dehydrated and just not doing well. After reading all the other posts it makes sense why our boy has been battling issues, it’s the inbreeding which is impossible to avoid in the cattery business. Our boy has cost us close to 5 figures in vet bills do to his health issues and he’s only 4. I can’t see him making it to 7 or 8. I will never buy another purebred cat again. My mum was right “mutt cats and dogs make the best pets and have the least health problems”
I do hope a prospective buyer reads these posts before considering to buy any purebred cat from any cattery because I believe this problem isn’t isolated to just Ragalong.
We just found this message board having picked up our kittens from Marilyn. They're 12 weeks old and they look as if they have already been spayed. That's strange, I did not think a vet would perform this procedure on a cat less than 12 weeks old...I truly hope only a vet is doing this operation, and that our kittens are of the minority who live a long life from this breeder. If anything happens, I will update my post.
You can spay/neuter a kitten when they reach 1kg in weight. Still very young though.
I am about to get a kitten from Marilyn after reading all these comments I'm still doubting on what to do. I have read countless of positive and negative comments. With my financial circumstances I thought Marilyn's ragdoll kitten would be great. I don't know what to do now. I've already placed my deposit...
Don’t do it. Read my post. Get a mutt cat from shelter or rescue instead
I have two cats from Merilyn.
When I got my first kitten, she showed up with the wrong kitten. I had my daughter with me and she fell in love so he came home with us. I was very disappointed though because it was the one kitten I really didn't want out of the pics she had sent us. ( A lady posted a pic with " our" kitten on FB the next day, that was a bitter pill to swallow) Marilyn's excuse was " This is a much better kitten". He soon came down with an upper respiratory infection and conjunctivitis, the vet suspected Feline herpes. A few months later he was blocked and rushed to the vet. He has to be on a wet food diet for the rest of his life.
My second kitten who I got a few weeks after the first was something else entirely. I felt very pressured to just take whatever kitten Marilyn had. He was very small and extremely scared of me. He was so terrified he would try and run up the walls to get away. I spent weeks trying to win his trust. I used a feral cat taming technique to win him over but he has never been friendly to anyone else. He growls at anyone who comes to the door, he hides and is scared of everything. He eats any soft plastic he can find, he's OBSESSED with it. I've had to be super vigilant and now NO soft plastic comes into the house. He has random " accidents" in the house sometimes, its never consistent. Weeks will go by and then he will pee on the sofa or my pillow. I always thought it was behavioral because of stress but after reading all the accounts with UTI's I'm going to take him to the vet. ( interesting that his mom is also Chocolate chip, maybe a small urethra is genetic) I also just had his teeth cleaned and he is missing 5 teeth, he is only 4 years old.
It does not say verified buyer on your comment. Why?
We also adopted a lovely kitten from Marilyn in 2018. She is a female, but she came to us extremely skittish, which Marilyn assured me was normal. She is now almost 3 years old and is healthy, but seems to be afraid of everything. We have a quiet household and we play with them daily and of course, she is loved and spoiled rotten. Marilyn said her females were always timid and the males more confident. Now after reading all of these comments I am starting to wonder what these poor kittens' first few months are like. I was going to get her a pal but I think we just keep it to her.
Get a male kitten for her. My girl was ok until she was 7 months and she became very aggressive and quite vicious. I was advised to get her a kitten. She totally mothered the kitten and is much calmer now but she is not happy if someone comes into my house. Definitely my cat and no one else’s. At one point my vet. Even recommended having her put down. With me she is sweet but I keep an eye on her when I have company
Reading your comments are freaking me out. I am getting a kitten from Marilyn at the end of August. I already have a 7 year old male (from Marilyn) who (so far) is in perfect health. He is not a lap cat but loves to be carried around and talked to. He loves to play fetch and plays like a kitten. He did come with a URI but that was fixed and I sprinkle Lysine on his food everyday which works great at keeping his immune system working well. I walk my baby boy outside and he is such a character. He has never been a cozy kitten, but the older he gets, the more love he wants. He's a sweet boy.
When I get my baby girl from Marilyn, I will (as always) take the kitten to the vet for a full check up. This time however, I will include an ultrasound of all her body parts.
Thanks everyone, I will keep you posted. I am so very sorry to all of you who have lost a kitty child. I lost my baby girl (not from Marilyn) on April 15 due to a heart attack and understand how devastating the loss is.
Hi Everyone, Brody's Mom here. We picked up our kitten from Marilyn in August and named her Maggy. She is playful, in wonderful health, and plays with Brody and Daisy our other two cats. We take all the cats in the car every weekend to our "summer" place and she loves racing around and playing with her toys and with Brody and Daisy. She was a little shy at first (I asked to get a shy girl) and with COVID, we cannot socialize with her with people as we did with the other cats, but when Amazon rings the doorbell (which is often lol) she is not scared as she knows that it might be for her. (toys/food/treats). I took her to the vet last month as her poops were a little soft but the vet gave her some meds and she bounced back perfectly. The vet said she was in great health.
I would adopt again from Marilyn (plan on getting another Ragdoll and a Grand Pyrenees when we retire), she's old school, doesn't reply to your email right away, and can be a bit gruff but all and all, my husband and I have had 2 great experiences with purchasing Ragdolls from Marilyn.
If you are planning on Breeding your Ragdoll, then yes, you should be able to see the mom and dad, but if you are just planning on having a Ragdoll as a pet, I don't see what all the fuss is on whether you see the mom or dad.
Stay safe, be kind to one another and stay healthy everyone.
About 5 years ago I purchased a radgoll kitten from a family in Calgary. He came with paperwork from Ragalong (parents Cloud 9 & Chocolate Chip). The family selling said he was too skiddish for their three children and two dogs. As a couple with no kids, we were sure our calm environment would be ideal. It took him over 6 months to not hide or freak out over any noise in the house, including having the tap running or the tv on. At age two, he developed urinary tract issues and would get crystals very often. One severe blockage resulted in a couple day stay at the vets. The vet also commented on his unusually small urethra. This issue came and went for the next year which accumulated a couple thousand dollars in vet bills. After fine tuning his diet and maintaining an expensive array of urinary health meal options, he has been ok since (albeit a supreme primadonna). We love him dearly and our experience with the urinary problems were horrific. Reading the stories above makes me worry about his longevity. I don't have much to contribute on the breeder themselves, however, it seems to me that severe health issues are clearly trending unfavourably for this cattery.
Hi
I am disappointed to see such negative reviews as I have owned 4 of Marilyn's cats and all have been extremely healthy as well as my mother in law who owns 2 of Marilyn's cats and my daughter who has another kitten from her.When we picked up each kitten, we knew from advanced research that Ragalong is a closed cattery and we couldn't go into the cattery as we could carry disease to her cats from outside sources.Its a biosecurity protocol and any decent farm or buisness adheres to this protocol. I wanted to see the parents but understood once I researched this.
Marilyn has been a great whenever we went to pick up a new family member and was always very informative.When we were there the last time, she had a woman and man from China (repeat customer)picking up a kitten who was to be show cat. They seemed to be quite happy with their new kitten as well as their older cat who was apparently a grand champion.
I understand there can be health issues in all animal's but I was shown the kittens parents test results for many of these genetic diseases you are all claiming to have.They were all tested as negative so I find many of these complaints a bit odd.Just my 2 cents.
As odd as it may sound it happened, I have the paperwork to backup my heart break. Take it or leave it, a friend of mine bought 2 ragdolls from Marilyn, her kittens didn't want to be held either. I have no reason to post information that is not true. Hopefully the next person does their research, and they are able to hold the kittens longer than 20 minutes, as the ferry pulls away from the dock.
All kittens are skittish when are place into new hands.
That’s not true. I tame and foster feral kittens and a properly socialized kitten will be ok being held, the won’t purr or anything but they should flip out.
In 2005, I to got 2 kittens from Marilyn, within 6 months my male died of FIP, I did have an autopsy done which concluded cause of death FIP. Marilyn swore she never had that issue in her cattery. She claimed to have reviewed the autopsy with her vet and claimed the autopsy had to be wrong, I did make sure I had an unbias autopsy performed.
I did receive a replacement kitten, appeared to be the runt of the litter. Marilyn charged me an additional 75.00 USD, said it was for the neutering, additional fee was not part of the contract... within a month we almost lost him, he had a parisite attach to his intestine 1, 500.00 USD surgery and I still have him today.
My female was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and kidney failure, she just passed away December 30, 2019 my heart is broken!
Prior to these 2 kittens, I had a ragdoll purchased from a different breeder which was soft and cuddly, loved to be held, thus the reason for wanting another ragdoll. Neither one of the cats I got from Marilyn, allowed us to hold them. VERY CLEAR they had not been held or (imprinted) as describe on their website. I loved my babies as children, they are part of my life - however, not as described on the website.
Please please take this to the Victoria BCSPCA and let them know what happened. They need to look into this breeder ASAP!
I am shocked by these comments and so sad for all of you. Our Behn (Mr. Behn Whiskers in Ragalong Gallery) is from Ragalong and he turned 14 in February. No health issues and he has been an amazing addition to our family. He is everything you read a ragdoll should be. We are considering another and I just googled her kennel and found these alarming comments. Has me worried of course but our experience has been all good. This is Behn this morning being his typical floppy self. We love him so much and even at 14 he is still healthy, cuddly, playful and of course adorable.
I too got a problem cat from Briar Glen. Like one of the previous posters my cat was super aggressive (would attack my kids when they were just sitting down playing nowhere near the cat) and attacked my mother in the night when she was sleeping to the point that she had blood pouring from her arm. I eventually had to start shutting him in a room if my kids had friends over because he would stalk them and attack them. Ours also ate EVERYTHING. Lampshades, blinds, toys, fabric - you name it this cat ate it. He was well fed so it wasn't from hunger. After 3 surgeries to remove foreign bodies from his stomach from the stuff he ate he finally got sick with something he was supposedly vaccinated against (she does her own vaccines) which the vet found odd as he was an indoor cat. He spent 11 days in the ICU and finally was put down. He only lived 18 months total. When I contacted her she offered to replace but never followed through and just denied that there was any problem with him. She said that we must have caused him to eat stuff from being a 'stressful' family. I later got a ragdoll from a different breeder and he has been fantastic!
Hello everyone,
To be honest I have had two cats from two different parents and the cats I have had been nothing but healthy and no real issues other than my 4 year old one has a smaller nose passage so she breathes deeper. Marilyn was great with us and showed us one of the parents as well as provided documentation. My mother also has two other cats from her with no issues. I’m sorry for your loss and what happened but I’ve heard way more good things and seen many people locally with cats that are healthy then not.
Let me guess, the parent she showed you was the male? I asked her for over a year, constantly emailing to see photos of my cats moms. She couldn’t provide a single photo. Sketchy. My one cat died before 6 months of age from a heart attack and she likely had FIP as her health was quite poor and the “replacement” was given to me with a heart murmur that she did not disclose in any email (or otherwise) conversations we had. There will always be a couple of sick kitties when breeding over the years but this many? It certainly raises concern. A lot of concern.
Thank you for your kind condolences. It has a devastating emotional and physical toll on a pet owner. We consider our pets our loved ones. I am traumatized by what I went through seeing my beloved boy struggling for his life and howling in excruciating pain. Hopefully by reporting these incidents, Ragdolls and their owners won't have to endure what we went through.
I purchased my Ragdoll boy from Marilyn. Within days he was diagnosed with a UTI, The vet said that the surgical site was not what he expected. Also the vet said that 8 weeks is too young to be neutered as it can lead to health issues later in life. Within one year my poor boy was diagnosed with asthma and a heart murmur. I called Marilyn and she told me that her cats have no history of heart disease and that this has never happened with any of her litters.
Sadly my boy passed away last week from complications from the heart murmur, i.e. a massive blood clot, edema in the lungs and sudden onset of acute blindness! It happened at 6 am and he was in excruciating pain. I drove 40 minutes to the closest veterinary hospital. I am heart broken.
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss! Please please email TICA and contact the Victoria SPCA. They need to shut her down!
I have also had two cats from Marilyn., The first one died 2 weeks after his first birthday after being at the vet for 7 days. He had FIV, something that Marilyn had NEVER had in her kennel. She challenged me on the diagnosis because you can't properly diagnose until death with a necropsy and then it's too late.
She, like may others of you, replaced my beautiful cat, with a cat that had never been out of her house, so no danger of disease. OMG, when she showed up at the vet clinic with my new 6 month old cat, he was the size that my one year old had been when he died. So, this cat I don't think, had ever been out of a room in her house. He was scared of anything that moved or made noise. The TV, the telephone, the hair dyer, car noise, being handled, and the list goes on and on. He has also skittish, and not loving the way a ragdoll should be. He had health problems after a year old with cysts in his urinary tract, but he died at 5 of stomach cancer. Again, something that she had NEVER seen. And guess what, she offered to replace him! How many FREE cats has this woman given away?
I contacted TICA and wrote a scathing letter of complaint about her, and I never did hear back from them but about 4 months later I got an email from Marilyn threatened to sue me if I continued to slander her! At this point, I just felt that to continue to badmouth her was probably going to do more damage, so that's what I have done. This woman needs to be shut down, and the more letters of complaint to TICA and complaints to Erika Paul at the Victoria SPCA, the better.
I might also add, that I too, never saw the parents, just generic photos, and I picked up my kitten at the then Shell gas station just outside of Victoria. I have never spoken to anyone who has had a cat from her that hasn't had either physical or behavioral issues.
I patronized a vet clinic that used to do her spays for her, but when she kept bringing them in with heart murmers, and they refused to spay them, she stopped going to them. And if you wonder about the neuters. She does her own!
So beware people. This has been going on for years. My last cat dies 4 years ago.
Omg! Please email me at xxxxxxx@gmail.com
My 2 year old “the replacement” is having really bad UTI issues that are not getting better!
How do you know she does her own neuters? This is VERY concerning for me and my little guy!
I used to live on the property and watch it while she was away. I was horrified with the condition of the cats and how many there were. It was horrible. I’m so sorry for all of you. I remember she would just throw away dead kittens
Something smells rotten in Denmark, and it's not the breeder. I just put my 14 and a half year old seal bi-colour from Ragalong to sleep after a good and healthy life, but guess what? Ragdolls are one of the short-lived breeds. I never had any trouble with Marilyn and I HIGHLY doubt she has 75 cats! I went to her property and all the cats were well cared for and the cattery was clean.
I think these reviews are a smear campaign.
Most certainly not a “smear campaign” Brooke Baird. As I have also been to her home and saw some lovely young adult cats. But she never showed me where the moms were kept, she brought the babies up to us covered in baby powder, she didn’t show me the conditions of the nesting area. She refused to let us go to where she kept the moms and babies. And my baby died 2 days before she turned 6 months old. My friend who got a ragdoll from Marilyn, her cat died of FIP at 10 months old. Other ragdoll owners that we are in contact with, who bought from Marilyn, have cancerous cysts by the eye, have gastro problems that have needed surgery. The list goes on. Yes, of course there will be cats that live a long and very healthy life. My friends aunt has 2 that are quite old and very healthy that came from Marilyn, however, there is something wrong with her breeding practice. There is no doubt about that.
Brooke, I think you need to read these messages very carefully. If you have a healthy cat from Marilyn, you are in the minority
So your cat lived to a ripe old age of 14? Good for you! Some us were not afforded that blessing.
I've read the other reviews on this board and just like mine, they are coming from a place that's still hurting. I can't speak for anyone else, but I shared my experiences because I do not want anyone to go through what I went through.
It is downright insensitive and ignorant to dismiss other people's experiences and intentions as a "smear campaign, " just because they do not conform to your own.
I used to live there and she most certainly has that many cats
I also got a kitten from Marylin 10 years ago. She neutered him at 9 weeks old before we got him. I just had him euthanized yesterday from kidney disease and he only weighed 12 pounds as an adult which I found odd. We discovered his kidney disease when he was 6 but could have had it for longer. Im saddened by these comments because I had no idea she was this bad until right now when I clicked on this page. I want another Rag doll but not from her now.
I would advise anyone who plans on getting a ragdoll from Ragalong/Briar Glen Farms to consider their options carefully. I got mine from this cattery and he lived to the age of 5 until his heart failed. It was absolutely heartbreaking as it came out of nowhere. I had my arms wrapped around him on the way to the vet as his life slipped away. I don't regret getting my cat as he has brought so much love and happiness in my life. However, if you have the option of starting your life with a new kitten, be very selective with who you're dealing with. My experience with this particular breeder, as well as the experiences of others, may very well be the exception. But it pains me to think that there are kittens, like mine, who are doomed from the start due to questionable breeding practices. These lovely creatures deserve better; you, as an owner, deserve better.
I got two cats from Ragalong. One of the cats was actually the wrong kitten. I had several emails that said I wanted a seal point kitten, NOT a bi-colour because the older cat I was getting was a bi-colour. She met me at the ferries to pick up the cats and sign the contract. The seal kitten was a bi-colour. When I said he was supposed to be a seal point, not a bi-colour, she said "He is a seal point bi-colour". Because I had to get right back on the ferry, I didn't argue but did look back at my email records to confirm I was specific, which I was. The seal bi-colour kitten passed at three years old from a urinary tract infection, which I caught and treated right away. The vet said he had a very small urethra, which was causing his problem. My older cat I got, was supposed to be a breeder but she sold her because she was too small to breed. Well it turned out that she really had a heart murmur that wasn't disclosed. She is 15 years old now and is still okay but has suffered from chronic respiratory infection and conjunctivitis her whole life. I would not get another cat from this breeder.
I'm so sorry you went through this! What exactly happened to your 3 year old cat? Was a necropsy ever done? UTI's don't usually cause death even if they have a smaller urethra... maybe there was another underlying cause. Either way I'm so so sorry you had to go through this. And to be put in a position to be worried everyday for your other cats health - this I can fully understand as I'm put in the same position with my 10.5month ragdoll from Marilyn. He has a heart murmur. I'm currently talking with the people from Bad Cat Breeders on Facebook and they have been so so amazing, understanding and sweet and above all very helpful.
I am so sorry to read these reviews as almost the exact same thing has happened to me. I got a kitten from Marilyn (Ragalong Ragdolls, Briarglen Farms), a few years ago, and he was breathing rapidly at age 2 so the vet diagnosed him with congestive heart failure(due to HCM). He died of a massive blood clot a few months later. I contacted MArilyn and she said she was shocked and this never happens to her cattery. I got a replacement kitten a year later(it took forever and she would not give me the type of kitten I wanted). Now 2 weeks ago, my kitten who is 1, has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and congestive heart failure which is from HCM almost certainly. Marilyn had promised me that my kittens parents were both tested for HCM, but this is only a heredity gene so this was untrue. For me to have 2 cats with the same condition shows that her cattery is running rampant with HCM and she is not testing the breeding cats at all. I am so sad for my cat and the death sentence he now has and for her breeding practices. SHe should not be allowed to breed animals in this way. HAs anyone tried to report her cattery, I am just curious to know as I am looking into this.
Hi, I'm currently dealing with Bad Cat Breeders on Facebook as I still haven't gotten a simple photo of my cats parents from her. My kitten (just over 10months) the replacement for the one that died still has his heart murmur as well and I will be getting him checked out again soon as he has just recently been very rapidly breathing - although it's also been extremely hot! But I always worry about him now considering his heart murmur.
I would also contact Bad Cat Breeders on facebook as they have been a helping hand for me so far.
Go to her site and count the girls and the boys. She has 75 cats. That is where people start to lose the reason they are in it to start with. I have 3 cats from them and am happy though the first one had a hernia from just below the ribs to the lower belly. Wide open, she didn't know because the cats are outside in a Catery I imagine. I got him home and when I noticed, I emailed and said I wanted to know what she would do for me. She said she had a male that she could replace him with. I told her I wanted to keep Merlin so we met at her vet and she got the surgery to get everything put back to where it was suppose to be. I left with him and my new sealpoint boy beautiful boy. They are now 4 years old and last year I bought a girl from her. She was going to show her because she is so pretty but there was a spot on her leg that shouldn't be there so got her spayed and sold her to me. I am satisfied. But count her cats. I noticed that not that long ago.
I have also had nothing but problems with kittens from marylin. Our first kitten died at 4 months old while on our way to the emergency vet. We didn't get an autopsy done but the vet suspected stomach cancer. I contacted marylin and she said they had never had this issue before. We also had to constantly ask for a new kitten for almost a year while we could see other kittens being advertised but not offered to us. Finally we got our new kitten who we were not allowed to pick but was just told this was the one we could have. I took him to the vet 2 days after pick up to be told he was malnourished and was close to needing to be kept at the vet on IV. We were able to get the kitten healthy again with help from the vet however he was the worst cat I have ever come across. He was vicious and would eat EVERYTHING and anything he could find. This resulted in a $3000 surgery when he was 6 months old to clean out his intestines. The vet warned us that our cat did not have normal cat tendencies, most likely from being imbread. We continued to have issues with the cat attacking us and our kids until he needed surgery again to clear his intestines. Unfortunately we had to surrender the cat at that point as it was only 6 months after the first surgery. I will never again deal with marylin. She has only brought heart break to my family. I hope your kitten is ok :(
I am so so sorry for your loss. 4 months is too young! I'm sure Marilyn doesn't spend any real time socializing them properly. I've been to her house and she wouldn't let us see where she keeps the cats she only brought us to a room and brought a few cats up, covered in baby powder, to us. Have you found yourselves another kitten to love?
My kitten is ok for now. I worry about him everyday. Especially as the summer starts and the hot weather comes and be open mouth breaths but I just take it day by day.